Do you ever feel like the biggest bottleneck in your business? If so, you are not alone. As someone who helps business owners run their businesses more efficiently, you may think that my business also runs efficiently. And most of the time, that’s true. But every business has messy seasons, including mine.

Sometimes a big client project takes over your schedule, and suddenly your business starts slipping through the cracks. Other times, your business may be growing and evolving, and your systems haven’t caught up. What used to work beautifully a year ago might now feel clunky, outdated, or even overwhelming.

That’s exactly where I found myself recently. After making several changes in my business over the past year, things were starting to feel out of control. I’m a “messy space = messy brain” kind of person, and that absolutely applies to business, as well. When things feel scattered, I feel scattered. So it was time to get back on top of things.

And honestly, the timing couldn’t be better. With about five weeks left in the year, getting organized now means starting the new year with clarity, momentum, and a lot less stress.

I thought I’d bring you along as I go through this process, because if I’m feeling it, chances are you might be, too.

Step One: Get Clear on What’s Really Happening

Before we start updating systems or automations, we need to understand where we are. So ask yourself:

• What’s working?

• What’s not?

• Where are things falling behind?

• What feels frustrating, clunky, or outdated?

• How do you want your business to run moving forward?
  
  

Give yourself some quiet time to think through these questions. This is the foundation for everything that comes next.

My Process

I started by creating a new folder in Google Drive called Get Organized. Inside that folder, I created a document titled Start Here.

On that page, I did a full brain dump:

• I answered the questions above.

• I listed everything that needed attention.

• I noted anything that felt broken, outdated, or confusing.

Some things on my list included:

• Updating outdated SOPs

• Refreshing old offers

• Creating a new freebie

• Cleaning up my task management system

Once everything was out of my head and onto paper, I went back and prioritized each item:

• Is this important?

• Is it something I truly need to do?

• Can I delegate it?

• Can I delete it?

• Does it belong in a “future projects” list?

(And if you don’t already have a “Future Projects” document, I highly recommend one. It keeps all your good ideas safe, just not distracting.)

Choose Your Top Three

With everything organized and prioritized, I chose the top three tasks that would make the biggest impact on moving my business forward. I worked backward from the result I wanted and broke each item into smaller action steps with reasonable due dates.

Then I added those tasks to my task management system.

Going forward, I plan to check in on Fridays during my CEO Date to:

• Review progress

• Adjust timelines

• Add the next 1–3 priorities

This helps me keep making steady progress without feeling overwhelmed by the full list of things I’d love to do.

Next Up

In the next post, we’re going to talk about systems and automations—how to evaluate what’s working, what’s slowing you down, and how to make them work for you again.

If you want to follow along, take 20 minutes today and complete Step One. You might be surprised at how much clarity shows up once everything is out of your head and onto paper.

Getting Back on Track Doesn't Have To Feel Overwhelming.

During a Workflow & Automation Strategy Call, we’ll simplify your processes, uncover time-saving automations, and workflows that help you stay on track, without frustration or burning out.